Before the Worst
by CaptainEKO
Summary: Her parent's war is over, now its time for Rosalie Mellark to fight for the ones she loves. Will she succeed? Or will her hopes for a better life become merely a dream. Sequel to Always Together.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello peoples! Alrighty so I know it's been forever since I finished my last story. :P So this is the sequel to my other story, Always Together. I really hope this story will turn out better. So with that said, here is chapter one!**

Rosalie POV

_I run through a forest, mutations growling behind me. "Rosalie!" a voice yells. I don't stop, I keep going. I run until my lungs are screaming. The mutations catch up with me. The creations come closer, my back pressed against a tree. I close my eyes, expecting the end. _

"Rosalie, wake up!" I open my eyes. My sheets are tangled around me. I'm sweating and gasping for air. My brother sits at the side of my bed, his eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?" he asks. "You were screaming in your sleep." I take a deep breath before giving him a small smile.

"I'm okay Rye," I respond. "Was I that loud?" I joke. He smirks. "I'm pretty sure you woke up the whole neighborhood," he counters. I laugh and throw my pillow at him. I look at my clock. Five-thirty a.m. I throw off the covers and turn to Rye. "I'm going hunting." He looks at the clock and then looks at me. "Isn't it a little too early?" I smile.

"Go back to bed, Rye," I tell him. He gets up and walks out of my room, closing the door behind him. I quickly pull on dark pants, a black shirt, and my hunting boots. I quietly run down the stairs and grab my grandfather's hunting jacket. My mom says after he died in a mining accident, she would always wear it. Since then it's become some sort of family heirloom. I put a few cheese buns in by game bag and head out the door.

The cool autumn air hits me as I start to jog to the Meadow. Soon I'm slipping under the chain-link fence that separates the district and the forest. I grab my bow and quiver from the hollow I always keep them in and make my way to the clearing. Light is starting to show in the sky as I sit against a tree to watch the sunrise. I think about the nightmare I had. I've had nightmares more recently now, and I can't help but think that it's a sign. A sign that something bad is going to happen. _Stop thinking like that Rose, _I mentally tell myself.

I focus on the sun rising on the horizon. The sky tinged with orange and red colors. Sunrise is my favorite part of the day. It's the only time of day I have to myself. I close my eyes and lean my head against the tree trunk. A few minutes pass by before I get up and head into the forest to hunt. I go to check the snares I had set up and find they had caught a rabbit and a few squirrels.

I stop to sit down and eat one of the cheese buns before loading my bow. After about ten minutes I come across a wild turkey and my eyes widen. Wild turkeys are very rare to come across these days. I pull an arrow from my quiver and take aim. I'm about to let go of the arrow when an arrow coming from another direction misses the turkey and scares it. I quickly send an arrow at the turkey but miss as it hides in a bush. I lower my bow and scowl. I hear a rustling noise that once again reminds me that I'm not alone. I regain my composure before moving closer to where the arrow came from.

"Hello?" I call out cautiously. A boy, more like a man, comes out from behind a tree. He can't be that old, maybe my age or a year or two older. He has dark hair like mine and grey eyes. And a face I won't soon forget.

"Hey," he says in a friendly tone. "Um, hi," is really all I can say. I turn in the direction the turkey went and frown. _Well so much for that _I think and start walking away, my anger getting the best of me. These are my woods, and I've never seen anyone but me and my mother here. And I won't make exceptions, no matter how gorgeous he is.

"Wait," the guy calls. "Where are you going?" I stop, turn around, and try to hide my anger. "I'm hunting." I look at him and I'm positive I've never seen him before.

"You're new here, aren't you?" I ask, curiosity winning over. He smiles, "Is it that obvious?" I smile back. "Just a little," I say. He laughs.

"Do you think you can show me what direction the fence is? This is my first time in the woods." He smiles sheepishly and I can tell he's slightly embarrassed.

I smile, my anger forgotten. "Yeah. Follow me." I start walking and he follows.

"You got a name?" he asks. "Rosalie. You can call me Rose, though." He stops walking and turns to me. "Nice to meet you Rose," he says. I smile. We continue to walk to the fence. "What about you? Got a name?" I ask. The trees clear up and the fence is visible. A few people outside are walking to work.

"Jayson," he responds. By then we've reached the fence. "Thanks. See you around?" he asks. I smile. "Yeah. See you." I turn and walk back to my house. I pass the gates to the Victors' Village and turn toward my house. Even though it's not just for victors anymore, we still call this neighborhood the Victors' Village. I open the door to my house and find that everyone is up.

My dad looks up from making breakfast and smiles. "Morning Rosie," he taunts, knowing how much I hate the nickname. I walk over to him and he kisses me on the cheek. "Morning Dad," I respond. My mom walks down the stairs and chuckles when she sees me. I'm momentarily confused but then she speaks.

"Your dad was scared to death when he went to your room this morning and you weren't there." She laughs and my dad scowls. I can't help but laugh too. "I left a note didn't I?" I ask through laughs. My mom shakes her head, smiling, while my dad tells me "No." My mom speaks up.

"Oh come on its not like we didn't know where she was going, Peeta. She's in the forest most of the time." Dad gives us a look of slight defeat before speaking. "I guess you're right," he says sheepishly and returns to making breakfast.

I walk upstairs to my room to wash up. I put my hair in a braid and walk downstairs. We start eating breakfast while talking about our plans for the day. "I have a meeting at twelve o'clock. Rose can you take a shift at the bakery today?" My family owns a bakery and my brother and I usually take shifts during the day.

"I guess so," I respond slowly, trying to think of the other things I have to do today. "Oh, Rose," my mom speaks up and I turn to face her. "Do you think you can take care of Willow today? Prim is working today and Sae isn't able to watch her." I smile and nod. Willow is my three-year-old cousin and the most adorable kid ever.

"What are you doing today, Rye?" I ask. He always finds a way to get out of working. "I have a school project to work on and finals to study for." _Sure, _I think sarcastically. I nod and get up putting my dish in the sink to be washed. I kiss my parents on the cheek, ruffle my brother's hair, grab my bag, and walk out the door.

The walk to my aunt's house is short and I'm there in no time. I knock on the door and Aunt Prim opens it, Willow standing right behind her. Her eyes light up when she sees me. "Rosie!" she squeals and runs to me. I smile and crouch down to give her a hug.

"Hey Rose." I stand up and give my aunt a hug. "Hey. I have to work at the bakery today. Is it okay if I take Willow?" Willow's face lights up. She loves the bakery because I manage to give her a few cookies when she goes. "Yeah that's fine," says Aunt Prim, grabbing her bag and stepping outside.

"There's food in the kitchen. Don't eat too many cookies Willow!" She calls over her shoulder. Willow giggles. "Okay Mommy!" She turns and runs inside, her bare feet pattering against the wooden floor. She was still in her nightclothes. "Willow did you have breakfast yet?" I ask her as she picks up one of her toys. She sits down on the floor, squeals a "no", and continues playing. I go in to the kitchen and make Willow breakfast.

We watch TV while Willow eats. When she's finished, we go upstairs so she can get dressed. As I walk down the stairs, her small hand grabs mine. "Can you do my hair Rosie?" she asks hopefully. "Sure," I respond with a smile. While putting her hair in a braid, I ask her what she wants to do today. "Oh can we go the Meadow? Please!" I finish her braid and tie a ribbon to hold it together. "Of course we can. But we can only stay for a little bit before we go to the bakery." She bobs her head up and down and runs out of the room. I walk behind her and find she is in front of the door, trying to put her sweater on. I help her put on her sweater and we head outside.

I hold Willow's small hand as we walk. She talks about her favorite toys and about how much she loves the Meadow and cookies. We stay at the Meadow for an hour and then walk to the Town Square. The bell rings as we enter the bakery. Willow immediately goes the glass display of the cakes my dad frosts.

"Dad, I'm here!" My dad walks out of his office and smiles. Willow giggles and my dad gives her a hug. Then he turns to me. "I should be back in an hour or two. See you guys later." And with that he opens the door and heads outside. I go into the supply cupboard and pull on an apron before sitting behind the register.

Willow wanders aimlessly and then comes across a small notepad. I give her a pencil and we both start drawing small pictures in the notepad. We draw for about twenty minutes before a customer comes in. I politely say hello and give her the bread she ordered. I can tell Willow is getting bored, so I take her to the back where the ovens are and give her a piece of dough to play with. After a while she starts humming a song and I return to the front of the bakery.

I'm sitting back down on the stool behind the register when I see him. Jayson. I blush involuntarily. I had only met him this morning. Yes, he was good-looking but I don't know anything about him. I see that he's not alone and walking with a small boy with blonde hair. They're both laughing. Then they start walking towards the bakery.

The younger boy runs off but Jayson stops in front of the bakery to look at the cakes on display. I'm often told by friends and family that I'm exceptional at not showing my real emotions, so now would probably be a good time to work my magic.

The bell above the door chimes as he walks in. He doesn't see me right away. After a few moments of him looking at cupcakes he looks up. I smile crosses his face as well as mine. "Were you standing there the whole time?" he asks. I laugh and nod my head. "I'm walking around town with my brother. Since we just moved in yesterday we wanted to have a look around the district."

I'm about to respond when there's a sound of something falling in the back room, a small _puff_, and a little girl's shriek. "Willow!" I call out as I run to where I left her playing with the dough. A bag of flour lays split in half on the floor. Mostly everything in the room is covered in flour, but Willow got most of it. She looks up and sees me. Her eyes wide in fear. "It fell Rosie! I was trying to get the spoon and it fell!" Then she starts to cry. I walk to her and crouch down so I'm at eye level. "Shh. It wasn't your fault. It was an accident right?" She nods silently, still sobbing slightly. "Come on," I say softly and pick her up, carrying her on my hip. She hiccups into my shoulder as I walk back up to the stool behind the register. I set her down on the stool. "You know what I think will cheer you up?" I ask Willow. She looks up at me, and her eyes flick to the cookies and then back to me. I grab a small, iced cookie and hand it to Willow. She grabs the cookie excitedly and eats it happily, her tears forgotten.

"Is she your little sister?" Jayson asks. I had forgotten he was there. "Oh, no." I smile and look at Willow and pick her up, balancing her on my hip. "This is Willow, my cousin." He smiles at Willow and she hides her face in my shoulder. Weird, she's not usually shy. "Sorry she's not usually shy. So did you want to buy anything?" Jayson shakes his head. "No I'm just checking out what's in the area. Since we're going to be living here now." I'm suddenly curious as to where he comes from. I set Willow down on the stool and turn back to Jayson, leaning on the counter. "So what district are you from?" "District Two. My dad was reassigned here for work."

There's a knocking noise and we both look at the window. The young boy he had been walking with was waving his hands, obviously trying to get Jayson's attention. The boy pointed a finger to the street leading out of Town Square. "My brother," Jayson explains reading my thoughts. "Well he apparently wants to go home. So I'll see you later?" he asks. On the outside I'm smiling but I'm blushing a deep red inside. "Yeah," I say, and then I have a sudden idea. "Hold on," I say quickly. I grab a paper bag and place a loaf of bread inside and hold it out to Jayson. "A welcoming gift," I say as I hand him the bag. He looks at the bag incredulously, as if it's the first time someone has done anything like this for him. "Are you sure?" he asks. "Of course I am," I tell him, still holding up the bag. "On behalf of me and my family." I smile but he's still looking indecisive. "Won't you get in trouble?" I smile. "Don't worry, I won't get in trouble." He grabs the bread and smiles. "Thanks Rosalie," he says and walks out of the bakery.

Willow then turns to me, flour in her hair and cookie crumbs on her face. "Why are you so smiley?" she asks curiously. I just laugh. "You'll understand when your older, Willow," I say as I watch Jayson and his brother walk down the street.

**Kay so that was the first chapter of this story!** **I'll let you know in advance that I won't be able to update this story as frequently as I'd like to because I'll be super busy with schoolwork. As it is my summer projects are killing me. I'm not looking forward to school this year… Jk. Please review! They make me happy! ;) -E**


	2. Chapter 2

Rosalie POV

Willow ends up falling asleep in my dad's office in the back of the bakery, so I carry her back to her house. I knock on the front door and Aunt Prim opens it. She smiles when she sees a sleeping Willow in my arms. Aunt Prim gently takes Willow from my arms and quietly thanks me, and then I'm on my way home.

The walk home is uneventful. "I'm home!" I yell as I walk into the house. I hang up my jacket and sit down on the couch next to my brother. He's watching something on the television but I'm not sure what. After a while I get bored so I tell my parents good night and head upstairs to my room. I lay on my bed, awaiting the nightmare that is sure to haunt my dreams.

Jayson POV

"How much longer?" my little brother Noah complains behind me. I roll my eyes. The walk to our house isn't even long, but Noah makes it seem like the walk is two miles. "We're almost there," I tell him, and sure enough, we're home in no time. "Were have you boys been?" my mom asks before I even close the door. My mom is the nice parent in the family. And she fits the part with sparkling blue eyes and a contagious smile.

"We were walking around town, Ma," I respond, heading over to the kitchen to grab an apple. "Oh," she says. "Did you meet anyone yet?" She asks. Before I can even respond, my brother pipes up. "He was talking to a pretty girl at the bakery!" I glare at him. He just grabs a cookie from the tray and walks out of the kitchen. My mom gives me a look that says _Really? _

"It's not like that," I tell her. "She gave me this as a welcoming gift." And I hand my mom the bread Rosalie gave me. She smiles and takes the bag. "Well that was sweet of her," she said as she walked to put the bread in the cupboard. "What was her name?" I smile. "Rosalie." She turns and walks back to me. "Did you get her last name?" I chuckle. My mom always wants to know everything about every girl I meet, but in a protective way. "No, Ma. I didn't ask her." My mom sighs and my dad comes down the stairs. My dad isn't exactly father material, and he never has been. He has a very short temper, something I learned the hard way when I was younger.

"Let me see the bag," he says calmly, but his eyes show his emotions, and he's angry. My mom knows what my dad is talking about, and she goes to retrieve the paper bag the bread came in. She hands it to my dad and look at it. I guess he finds what he's looking for because a throws the paper bag in the trash and turns to me.

"You're not going to see that girl again," he says in a voice I've only heard when I've done something terribly wrong. We're standing face to face, staring each other down. I'm not scared of him. The worst thing he could do is hit me, and that's not something he hasn't done before.

"Why?" I ask simply. He glares at me. "She's a Mellark, Jayson," he answers. I'm confused, but then I remember the name of the bakery was "Mellark Bakery" and that it was family owned. "That's not a good enough reason." He continues to glare at me, only with more hatred than before.

"If you have any respect for me, you'll stay away from her," he says simply. My anger take over and the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. "Well I don't have any respect for you, so I guess I'll be seeing her again." His face goes from angry to infuriate. He raises his hand and brings it down on my face. The impact is so hard I see stars. I can already feel a bruise forming, but I remain standing.

He raises his hand again and I prepare myself for the hit. "Gale!" my mom screams. His hand freezes in midair. He instead grabs my shirtfront and pulls so that we're face to face. "You will learn to respect me," he practically growls. Then he lets go and storms up the stairs to his room.

My mom rushes over to my side. "Are you okay?" she asks, placing her hands on the sides of my face and looking over my face to see if the bruise is bad. "Yeah," I say sarcastically. "Just great, Ma. Why do you still put up with that jerk?" He eyes sadden and she drops her hands. "You know he wasn't always like this Jayson. And he is your father." I grab my jacket from the wall hanger and open the front door. "Yeah, I wish he wasn't." "Jayson!" my mom pleads, but I'm already out the door.

This isn't the first time this has happened. My dad and I go at it, mom breaking it up, and then me leaving the house for who knows how long. I usually go to a friend's house at a time like this, but I've only been here half a week. The sun is already going down, and after a few minutes it's dark. I decide that the woods wouldn't be a good place to go, since I don't have a weapon with me.

But instead find a tree in a field of flowers and climb it. I don't know how long I'm sitting on the branch, but I fall asleep with my back against the trunk.

**A/U: Hey Guys! Long time no see! Okay so it's been forever since I last updated and I feel horrible! Please don't be mad at me! Blame school! I had a summer project that took up most of my summer… and then came high school. I'm taking an AP course as a freshman, and that is basically suicide. So I really hope you guys now understand why I can't update as much as I'd like to. Until next time my lovely readers! 3**


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